1967. Jimi Hendrix sets fire to a guitar for the first time at Finsbury Park Astoria in London.

In Church

1998. Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily, 20 month old daughter of the late Michael Hutchence is christened at a ceremony at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Sydney, Australia. The surviving members of INXS attend along with members of the Hutchence family. Outside the church a scuffle breaks out involving security guards hired by a British magazine and photographers. One snapper, Brendan Esposito of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, is pushed 10 feet onto rocks. Paramedics, fearing a broken back, take nearly an hour to stabilise him enough for the transfer to hospital. Luckily, his injuries are not serious and he’s discharged after treatment.

In Hospital

1969. Barry Ryan is taken to hospital in Munich, West Germany suffering from burns to his hand and face after a telephone he is holding explodes. He was to have been photographed speaking into a burning telephone to advertise a mass phone-in interview in the evening but too much volatile liquid was used. As a result, the phone exploded on being ignited. Doctors say it will be three months before his face is completely healed.

On Television

1995. Pop Will Eat Itself get carried away during a performance of “Ich Bin Ein Auslander” on Irish TV’s “The Late Show” and cause £ 1,000 worth of damage to the studio and equipment. They claim it is the result of an afternoon of tension between the band and the show’s production staff. At one point they are asked to leave the hospitality suite for making too much noise. Drag-comedy artiste, Lily Savage threatens to punch one band member if he doesn’t shut up. A spokesman for the band later apologises to RTE.

Death

1986. O’Kelly Isley, oldest of The Isley Brothers dies of a heart attack at his home in Alpine, New Jersey.

Music Paper From Today

New Musical Express from 31st March 1973. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.

1994. Rick Parfitt is backstage at London’s Royal Albert Hall waiting to be presented to Prince Charles and his sons when he’s tapped on the shoulder. He turns to be asked, “Who’s been a naughty boy, then?” as a private detective hands him a writ naming him as the third party in a divorce case. Strangely the culprit is actually a Rick Parfitt look-alike who’s spent the last three years fooling hotels, restaurants and a string of ladies.

In Custody

1978. Paul Simonon and Topper Headon of The Clash are arrested outside their London studio after they are spotted firing guns by a passing police helicopter. They were passing time by shooting pigeons with air guns.

1994. Kurt Cobain gets his best friend, Dylan Carlson to buy a shotgun for him saying he’s scared of intruders at the house. Police have already removed all guns from Kurt’s home. This is the shotgun Kurt will later use to kill himself. The shotgun receipt and the Police report on the purchase. Here’s the receipt:

Music Paper From Today

Sounds from 30th March 1991. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.

Daily Babble

I know it’s far from daily but I’m amazed I’m getting this to you at all. Here’s the view out my window just now:

2002. Britney Spears‘ first film, ‘Crossroads’ opens in cinemas across the U.K.

In Court

1968. Beat group, The Paper Chase appears at Cupar Burgh Court in Fife, Scotland, charged with the theft of two crates of lemonade worth £ 1. 14s. Despite claiming it was a publicity stunt, all four members are fined £ 1. The theft occured after the band had played a dance at the town’s Corn Exchange on March 2nd. The two crates had been left outside the hall by the event’s organisers and when they returned both the crates and the group’s van had disappeared. The police were informed and the group was arrested at a road block set up in Dollar en-route for the group’s home town of Bridge Of Allan.

In Business

1968. Pye Records announce that they’ve offered the dustman who woke Prince Charles up with his singing when he emptied the dustbins at Trinity College, Cambridge, a recording contract. The binman, Frank Clarke, who was ordered to empty the bins at 9 a.m. instead of 7.30 a.m. to avoid waking the heir to the British throne, said he still has to decide whether to take the contract or not.

1996. Drummer Howard Wyeth dies in New York’s St. Vincent Hospital after a heart attack. Best remembered for his work with Bob Dylan‘s Rolling Thunder Review, Wyeth had spent recent years playing the New York clubs with his Howie Wyeth Ragtime Band.

Music Paper From Today

Sounds from 29th March 1975. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.

1964. Radio Caroline, the UK’s first offshore pirate radio station goes on air.

On Tour

1977. NBC need some live footage of The Sex Pistols for a documentary they’re shooting. Trouble is, Malcolm McLaren‘s finding it difficult to get a venue that will let them play. With only hours to spare, he’s saved by the Roman Catholic Church who allow the use of Notre Dame Hall in London’s Leicester Square. Only 150 fans are allowed in to see Sid Vicious make his live debut with the band.

In Court

1991. Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids On The Block) appears in court in Louisville, Kentucky, charged with Arson. After a brief hearing, at which he pleads not guilty, he’s released on $ 30,000 bail. A trial date will be set for later in the year. The 21 year old singer gave himself up to the authorities after he discovered a warrant had been issued for his arrest. It’s claimed that he poured vodka over the hall carpet on the ninth floor of the Seelbach Hotel, in Louisville, after a row with a teenage groupie. He told reporters, “There was no vodka, there were no matches. I didn’t even run two sticks together”.

In Hospital

1986. Shane MacGowan (The Pogues) is hit by a taxi while getting into a car in London’s Westbourne Grove. He is thrown into the air and left unconscious on the pavement. At hospital he’s found to have a broken arm, facial cuts that required stitches and damaged ligaments in one leg. He is operated on that weekend and has his arm and leg plastered for ten weeks. Tours of Germany and France are cancelled.

1991. Donny Wahlberg (New Kids On The Block) is arrested and charged with first degree arson following a fire at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Donny is alleged to have poured a bottle of vodka over a carpet and set light to it. He’s released on $ 5,000 bail this evening, just in time to make tonight’s gig.

In Court

1998. Ian Brown is remanded on bail at Manchester Magistrate’s Court after pleading not guilty to threatening a British Airways pilot during a flight from Paris to Manchester on February 13th. He was arrested by police on landing and charged with public order offences related to verbal threats of violence. A pre-trial review has been scheduled for April 19th.

In Church

1979. Eric Clapton marries Patti Harrison (nee Boyd) at a tiny Mexican wedding chapel, belonging to the Apostolic Assembly Of Faith In Christ Jesus, ten miles west of Tucson, Arizona. Producer Bob Fraboni is best man. The chapel was picked at random out of the phone book. Its organist, Edward Lopez, said Clapton wanted “nothing special, just the traditional stuff”. The guitarist, who opens his U.S. tour in Tucson tomorrow, was dressed in white tuxedo and white cowboy boots. The bride wore a cream coloured gown with a fishnet veil.

1968. It’s announced that Juan Manuel Serrat, Spain’s entry in The Eurovision Song Contest has been replaced by a 22 year old Madrid girl called Massiel after he refused to sing in Spain’s official language, Castilian.

In Court

1991. An inquest opens into the death of Eric Clapton‘s son Conor in Guildford, Surrey. Clapton was not present at the hearing which heard the results of post mortems carried out in New York and the U.K. As is usual, the inquest was adjourned until a later date for further reports. Despite the adjournment, the coroner gives clearance for Conor’s body to be buried on March 28th.

On Television

2005. Parkinson (ITV, U.K.) featuring a performance from John Legend.

On Television (2)

1993. Outrage, the gay non-violent direct-action group, invade BBC Broadcasting House in London to protest at Shabba Ranks appearance on Top Of The Pops after the rapper’s recent homophobic comments.

Death

1968. Little Willie John, the R&B star of the ‘fifties dies in Walla Walla Prison, Washington, seven years into a sentence for killing a man in a street fight.

Music Paper From Today

Record Mirror from 26th March 1983. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.

1980. Gary Numan forms his own company to assist with his U.S. tours – Numan (U.S.) Tours Limited. The company trading under that name is initially called Dubford Limited but changes its name to Numan (U.S.) Tours Limited on 31st December 1980. Companies House shows the nature of business as “travel agencies etc; tourist”.

In Court

1964. The Los Angeles Herald Examiner breaks the news that Beach Boy, Mike Love is involved in a paternity suit. Shannon Harris, a 22 year old secretary has raised the action claiming Love fathered her three month old daughter Shawn. The case turns sour with Love’s lawyers alleging that Harris had several sexual partners. They also claim the relationship between their client and Harris stopped before the child was conceived. Love later settles the case making a token maintenance payment yearly and allowing Shawn use of his surname upon reaching 16.

In Trouble

1995. Tim Finn (Crowded House) and Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) have to be rescued by lifeguards at Karekare in New Zealand. The two had been amongst a group swimming in a patrolled area when they were caught by freak ten foot high waves and carried out of the safe zone. Lifeguards pick them up in a boat but are disappointed when all they get is a “thank you” – a donation to their voluntary organisation would have been much appreciated.

On Television

2005. The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Syndicated, U.S.A.) 301. Guests include Reba McEntire and Sum 41 who perform “Pieces” from their new CD “Chuck”.

Death

1976. Duster Bennett dies, aged 29, when his car collides with a lorry. One of the foremost British blues figures, Bennett was returning from Stoke, where he’d been plaing with Memphis Slim and was only two miles from home in tamworth when the collision occured. He had been one of Mike Vernon‘s first signings to the seminal Blue Horizon label. Although he hadn’t realeased anything for five years, Duster was about to record a comeback album. He leaves a wife and three children.

Music Paper From Today

Kerrang! from 25th March 1995. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.